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Garland City Council Confirms New Fire Chief

The City of Garland is preparing to welcome a new Fire Chief, with the upcoming retirement of current Chief Raymond Knight. During their July 5 meeting, the Garland City Council confirmed the City Manager’s selection of Mark E. Lee as Fire Chief, beginning Aug. 1.

Lee currently serves as chief of the Murphy Fire Department and spent 27 years in Lewisville as a firefighter, paramedic, assistant EMS coordinator and dive team coordinator, achieving the rank of Captain. Lee has a bachelor’s degree in Training Development and Instruction from Texas A&M University at Commerce and is now finishing a master’s degree in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Dallas.

City Manager Bryan Bradford selected Lee at the conclusion of a national search process. “Mr. Lee is credited with establishing a culture of service excellence in Murphy and helped them achieve an ISO 1 fire rating,” says Bradford. “He’s described as a natural leader who values communication at all levels of the Fire Service. While we hate to see Chief Knight retire, I have confidence that Mr. Lee is the right person at the right time to continue the progress that Chief Knight made during his tenure.”

Lee also has served as an EMT and paramedic instructor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is active in his church as a youth counselor and in leadership training. Lee and his wife, Jacque, have two children, Casey and Corri.